The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-04-23
JUDGE LYNCH REPLIES.

JUDGE LYNCH REPLIES.
Especial to Times.D Democrat.
Columbia, s. c., April 14.-Ow-
ing to the sharp criticism by the
State press of the recent lyncbing |
of the five negroes at Yorkville,
one of the lynchers, over the sig |
nature of Judge Lynch, publishes
the following manifesto to-day in
a local paper:
"Yorkville, s. O., April IL.
Fellow Citizens of South Carolina:
l understand that you are be.
coming alarmed at my recent out.
RACES and that you are fearfully
trembling at the thought of what
l may do next. I confess that l
have recently assumed consider.
ably authority and exercised ex.
treme.jurisdiction in several cases.
| do not desire to continue in the
usurpation Of the power which |
am exercising and would gladly
return it to the law, but the law
must first purify itself and give me
assurance that she is strong
enough to hold it. She is not
strong enough now, as has been
thoroughly demonstrated in a
number of recent cases. She has
become so corrupt that respecta.
BILE citizens no longer have any
faith in her.
The opinion seems to prevail
through the State that the law
would have been abundantly able
to deal with the case that | dis.
posed of. 1 assure you that 1t is
very doubtful. AS to whether the
accused were guilty of the crime
with which they were charged or
not, no one doubted for a moment.
In fact every one was positive that
they were, and all those who were
at all familiar with the forms of
law were equally certain that under
the rules of evidence they could
never be legally convicted. The
confession made in the jail by one
of the murderers, shortly after the
commission of the crime, has been
denied since the return of the
prisoners from Columbia. While
in Columbia they employed law.
yer, and learned that he had two
strings to his bow. One was to
plead insanity for the negro who
confessed (who, by the way came
back to Yorkville acting his part
admirably. The other string was
to get change of venue, and as
sure you that if this had succeed.
ed they would have been acquit-
ted, for there was no proof
against the accused but what
would have been ruled out under
the rules of evidence.
"Another fact which bade me to
pursue the course / did was this !:
The prisoners, if tried together,
would have been able to exhaust
the jury box down to the very
dregs, and been able to secure
twelve such scoundrels as them.
selves, who would bring In a ver'
dict of acquittal. In my court
the sharpest lawyer does not win
the case, and it must be arranged
so in yours or | shall continue to
proceed.
ain my courts the accused is not
allowed to choose his own jury,
manage to prolong the trial until
nightfall, have the court adjourn
ed and get his friends to buy such
of the scoundrels as will sell out
and if they can't buy all, at least
manage to get mistrial. | have
seen this occur time and time
again In your courts. Change 1t
or you can't compete with me. In
my courts there are no rules ol
evidence which make 1t necessary
for the witness to see the crime
committed and don't allow him
to hear or know a fact In any other
way but seeing. In my courts all
that the jury need to enable them
10 bring in a verdict Of guilty 's 60
beoomn |hrouof1IF eatieIfed that